MICHELLE King battled the elements to produce an impressive win in the latest round of the season-long Rudy Project national time trial series.

The former local club rider, now competing for Coventry-based Team Jewson, won the wet 24-mile event at Hull by an outstanding four minutes from bronze medallist in recent 25 mile National Championships and current National Hill Climb champion Lynn Hamel.

King now has a commanding lead in this year’s series with one more counting event to go, putting her on course to win her fourth consecutive title.

Meanwhile, Warwick-based Jon Stevenson won the Percy Stallard National Road Race Series for third year in a row following a strong second place finish in round nine of the event when he and fellow ex-Coventry Olympic member Roy Chamberline broke clear of the field with more than 40 miles to go in the 57 mile race near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Terry Meechan (Team Coventry Cycle Centre) was seventh D veteran at the front of the bunch.

Elsewhere, the West Midlands Cyclo-cross league kicked off on Sunday at the tough and technical woodland course in Redditch featuring a steep climb shortly after the start to string the riders out, followed by some fast, root-riddled descents.

Coventry Road Club was well represented with six veteran riders, two seniors, one junior and an Under-10.

The veterans, ladies and juniors race was run over 40 minutes and CRC’s Mark Farrah continued his good form from the road season finishing in fifth place in the 40-49 age group while team-mate Mark Garrett came home in 19th.

In the over 50 age group CRC again showed strongly with Phil Evans finishing 14th, Dave Miller 19th, John Hughes 20th and Richard Tyler 23rd. And in the junior category, Joe Atkins, competing in his first full season of cyclo-cross, finished fifth to make a solid start to his season which will see the recent CRC member take on the best in the country in the National Trophy races.

The senior race saw Matt Smart finish in 11th place ahead of Colin Miller who suffered a puncture and dropped back to 18th in the event that was won by Lee Williams (Wiggle), with Team Jewson’s Darren Atkins in fourth. And last but not least, CRC youngster Ed Woodward finished fifth in the race for Under-10s.

Meanwhile, Steve Knight (Jewson) won the latest round of the Midland cyclo-cross series at Shrewsbury which turned out to be a disastrous day for team-mate Phil Blacker who had been leading on the final lap until he got tangled with a junior rider and crashed into a tree at speed, resulting in a broken collar bone which will keep him out of action for at least four weeks. Coventry Road Club’s hill climb at Burton Dassett saw Phil Fenton (1-49) finish the fastest of the host club riders, seeing off nearest rival Dave Parkes (2-06).

And finally, with a field of 102 riders and a prize fund of nearly £500, CRC’s open 10-mile time trial promotion at Princethorpe this Saturday promises to be a race where there’s something for everyone.

The field is headed up by Simon Harradine (leisurelakesbikes) with a 19 minute 30 second PB to his credit this year, closely followed by Richard Bradley (I-ride.co.uk), local rider Matt Clinton (Mike Vaughan Cycles) and Tom Yeatman (Team Zappi) who are all 19 minute men.

With a further ten riders with 20 minute times it promises to be a closely fought race for the overall. Jewson’s King is the fastest female entrant and with prizes for veterans on standard and first three in the age categories of 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70-plus there is everything to race for across the field.